Wings Babcock thinks Hunter can succeed as NHL coach

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock worked a junior bench for eight seasons with Moose Jaw and Spokane of the WHL, but he first made the jump to the pro ranks with Cincinnati of the American Hockey League before he became an NHL head coach with Anaheim in 2002. Regardless, he thinks Dale Hunter’s combination of head-coaching experience and lengthy career as an NHL player will make it easier for him to make the jump from coach of the OHL’s London Knights to coach of the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

“That’s why he can do that,” Babcock said. “Hunts is a guy who’s had huge success in his playing career, and played a hard brand of hockey. His brother (Mark) has done a phenomenal job of getting players, and he’s done a great job coaching. He has tons of experience.”

Much of Hunter’s NHL playing experience, from 1987-99, came with the Capitals, another reason why Babcock believes Hunter will make the transition so seamlessly.

“He’s part of the fabric of the franchise anyway,” Babcock said. “He’ll feel his way along to find his comfort level at this level, and I think it will be quickly. Experience is gained in lots of ways. If you’re a non-player like I was, you have to spend way more time getting experience, because you don’t have that experience in understanding and knowing what they’ve been through. (New Carolina coach) Kirk Muller and (Hunter) are so experienced in this league, there are going to be some things they’ll have to learn as head coaches that will take a little time, but Hunts has been a head coach for 11 years.”

Red Wings radio analyst and former NHL player Paul Woods is another who thinks Hunter carries the right ingredients to make it work whether others who’ve made the jump directly from junior such as Don Hay, Terry Simpson, Bill LaForge have struggled.

“What’s good about Dale Hunter is that he played a tough brand of hockey, but he also had some skill (as a nine-time 20-goal scorer), so he understands both sides of the game and both types of players,” Woods said.

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